Hannah's book blog. This is my place where I share my favourite reads and chat about books.

Month: June 2015

“It Ain’t Easy” is a collection of short stories on growing up in Washington, DC. If you think it’s all memorials and museums, you’re mistaken.

This collection explores the every day lives of those who reside in the city— from the around the way girls and boys in the hood to the private schools on the privileged side of town.

“It Ain’t Easy” shows one of America’s most talked about cities in a way it is rarely seen; through the eyes of the people.

My Thoughts:

I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. It is a collection of stories about what it is like to live in the part of the city that is the gritty streets of some of the poorest parts of the city to the privileged halls of its prestigious private schools. I liked the way Keisa writes, she takes you in to the heart and mind of the characters, I didn’t realise she is only 24 years old. The title of the stories truly sums up the way some of these poor people live. Will definitely be looking out for more of her books. These stories make for a great read.

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Blinding sunshine… A bend in the road… What became of the little girl with the sun in her eyes?

Amber was three when a car crash stole her mother’s life. She doesn’t remember the accident, but a stranger at the scene has been unable to forget. Now, almost thirty years later, she’s trying to track Amber down.

Amber, meanwhile, is married to Ned and living on the other side of the world in London. When her father has a stroke, she flies straight home to Australia to be with him. Away from her husband, Amber finds comfort in her oldest friends, but her feelings for Ethan, the gorgeous, green-eyed man she once fell for, have never been platonic.

As Ethan and Amber grow closer, married life in London feels far away. Then Amber receives a letter that changes everything. ‘Before your mother died, she asked me to tell you something…’

My Thoughts:

I always seem to read Paige Toon’s books really fast, this one I read in a day and a half. They are the best kind of chick lit. The characters were realistic, the story has quite a few emotions going through it which I think people can relate to love, betrayal and loss. I enjoyed this book not as much as her others, there were some parts in the book I didn’t condone but it didn’t put me off reading about it. My favourite character was Doris, I think what she did was such a lovely thing to do. A perfect holiday read.

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A high-concept, action-packed thriller from the bestselling author of SCARECROW AND THE ARMY OF THIEVES.
It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for 40 years. They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.
Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed. A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time. Among them is Dr Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and an expert on reptiles.
The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong…
GET READY FOR ACTION ON A GIGANTIC SCALE

My Thoughts:

I was lucky enough to have won this book in a goodreads competition. It is a big book and I thought it would take me ages to read, well it didn’t I managed to read this book in two days. It has big writing which helps, but it also was fast paced that I was utterly engrossed in it. It did remind me of Jurassic park which I enjoyed, I knew something would go wrong when I saw that they had built a zoo which contained dragons. Haven’t read a book like this but thoroughly enjoyed it.

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Katie is pregnant. Again. She loves being a mum but having three kids under the age of three may be more than she can handle. Thankfully her marriage is solid enough to withstand the blast. Or is it? With husband Anthony working long hours and Katie fearful of letting him see she’s struggling to cope, could someone else become a shoulder to cry on? What line does a seemingly innocent friendship have to cross to jeopardise a family’s future?

Meanwhile Katie’s sister Amy has problems of her own. Her 20s are fast disappearing with no sign of romance when along comes Charlie, an up and coming actor. Amy is smitten by Charlie (not to mention the world of celebrity he draws her into) and he seems to be falling head over heels too. But as Charlie’s star rises their relationship begins to change and Amy must work out if they want the same things. Will Charlie prove to be her perfect match?

My Thoughts:

I was given a copy of this book from Liza for an honest review. This is a truly fantastic read, it captures you right away, once I started it, I found it hard to put down. It is all about katie’s story, you will find romance, relationships and motherhood in this story. I love the fact that the characters are so down to earth and I am sure many women can relate to Katie and Amy, I felt like I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. A brilliantly easy read.

If you would like to purchase the ebook, please click on the link below:

Sophie Summerhill believes in Fate and she’s in Goldebury Bay for only one reason: to find the fabled, long-lost, Summerhill treasure. When she finds it, she’s going to sell it and head for a life of luxury in the Caribbean. But first, she has to solve the mystery of an ancient feud between local families: the Beaumonts, the Suttons and the Pollards and to do that, she will need some help.

What she doesn’t need is good-looking journalist, Timothy Richards asking questions. Or a man who’s just lost everything – the darkly handsome, Thaddeus Beaumont, taking on the role of ‘knight in shining armour’. In fact, Sophie must try to avoid Thaddeus. He might find out what she’s trying to keep hidden from everyone in Goldebury Bay, and particularly from him.

My Thoughts:

I just want to say a big thank you to Emily who sent me this book and signed it for me too. I love the cover and I thought the blurb on the back done like a postcard is such a fantastic idea. I thought it looked brilliant. This is book two in the Goldebury Bay Series and I will be reading the first book very soon. You will love this book if your a fan of the romantic novels, Emily doesn’t leave anything out, this book has humour, friendship, falling in love with lots of fun. I was lost in this book as I really wanted to find out if Sophie would find the treasure in the end. I loved the story, they are some very amusing parts in it. And I liked all the characters, I think Sophie is very lucky to a hot guy in Thaddeus in her life. I look forward to reading the first book in this series and I certainly look forward to the next book. This is a book you will not want to put down.

If you would like to purchase this book, please click on the link below:

Nate Braden has loved his best friend’s younger sister Jewel for as long as he can remember, but between their age difference and his respect for Rick, he’s always kept his feelings at bay.

Now he’s back in Peaceful Harbor, and Jewel is no longer sixteen years old–but there’s an even bigger obstacle standing in his way. Nate and Rick joined the military together eight years earlier. Nate came home a hero, but Rick didn’t make it out alive.

My Thoughts:

Another fantastic read by Melissa. Melissa’s books are full of hunky guys, hot romances and the very strong women. In this story the main character is called Nate, who is 27 years old and he is an ex soldier with a bucket load of guilt and a secret love for his best mate’s sister. Can they find a way to conquer their fears and find the love that will heal both of their hearts together? I love the way that there is so much emotion that you can kind of feel what they characters are going through. Such an emotional story, you will feel like you have been on a rollercoaster, it is a tear jerker too as you discover the back stories. I was hooked from the start, definitely a book that will not leave me for a long time.

If you would like to purchase this book, please click on the link below:

London, 1945 and as the end of the war is declared and the troops start returning home, the nurses of the East End are joining in the celebrations.

For Nurse Connie Byrne the end of the war signals the beginning of a new chapter and as the revelries go on around the city, Connie’s mind is on another celebration that she’ll be able to arrange – the wedding to her sweetheart, Charlie, set to take place as soon as he arrives home. But when Connie meets Charlie off the train at London Bridge, she finds that his homecoming isn’t quite going to go according to plan…

Connie’s busy professional life, and the larger-than-life patients in the district, offer a welcome distraction, but for how long? If nursing in the East End has taught Connie anything, it’s that life is full of surprises.

My Thoughts:

I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of this book from Jean herself. I must say a big thank you as it is such a wonderful book. I only recently got into reading books about the war. This book is centered around the nurses in 1945, all the nurses have their own lives as well as their nursing lives so you get to find out more about them. I love the way Jean has gone into every tiny detail of the age in which the book is written. It gives you a pretty good idea of how times have changed and what must it of been like in those days. If you liked Call the Midwife, then you are sure to love this book. I would love to read the other books that Jean has written as I just couldn’t put this one down.

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